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Scheherazade drank Christmas Cake by PostTea

2238 tasting notes

035/365

Day 17 of the PostTea advent. Today’s blend is fairly unexpected, I would say. There are Christmas Cake blends aplenty, but I’ve never come across one with a pu’erh base before. It kind of works, in a rich, earthy kind of way. My only complaint is that it’s perhaps a little too earthy (and I was fairly conservative with my brew time…)

The flavouring is good, though. Dried fruit, a hint of spice, a touch of almond, and a little background sweetness that’s just about reminiscent of icing. I think I would have preferred a black base, but this is pretty good. While the pu’erh isn’t particularly strong or overpowering, it comes across just a little heavy handed – like the Christmas cake flavours are competing with the base for prominence, rather than working in harmony. It almost works. Would I drink it again? Probably. I don’t think it’s one I’d actively seek out, though.

Preparation

Boiling 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.